May Happy Hour
We're in Lawndale for our May happy hour! Please join us at Inside Town Art Collective on Thursday, May 16th at 6PM. Inside Town is located at 1954 South Troy Street Chicago, IL 60623, just steps from the Kedzie Pink Line and the Cermak CTA bus (#21).
Please note that there is no bar onsite. We will be providing beer and non-alcoholic refreshments. We encourage folks to bring food and snacks of their own, too!
Citywide ADU Update + Public Comments
There has been a lot of progress on the ADU front in the past month. On April 16th, Alder Bennett Lawson introduced his latest version of an ordinancewhich would allow accessory dwelling units citywide. To demonstrate our strong support for this ordinance, UE members turned out in person at City Hall to give public comment at the Zoning Committee meeting. Our turnout was so strong that each public comment was cut from three minutes to two minutes and there was still insufficient time for all of us to speak.This is how we demonstrate our power to elected officials. 💪
ADUs will most likely be back in the spotlight for the June Zoning Committee meeting. The agenda has not been published yet, but we will be organizing accordingly once we learn more. Stay tuned!
Support ADUs citywide!Watch our public comment video! 👀Read a summary of the ordinance
Old Town Development Update
On May 7th, dozens of UE members filled the Latin School auditorium to support 500 new homes in Old Town. While the NIMBYs were out in full force, we were able to win the Q&A game to highlight the many benefits of the project. Additionally, UE members were quoted in numerous media publications, including this piece by Brian Rogal in the Chicago Tribune.
Thank you to everyone who gave public comment in support of the project. We are incredibly grateful for your bravery to speak in front of such a hostile crowd. We know that there will be an eighth community meeting soon, and you can count on an even bigger turnout from our members next time.
We also hit our goal of 500 supporters of the 500 new homes prior to the meeting. Great work, everyone!
Climate Lobby Day
On May 9th, Urban Environmentalist members traveled to the capitol in Springfield for Climate Action Lobby Day. We met with 13 members of the Illinois General Assembly to introduce ourselves and advocate for abundant, all-electric, climate-friendly infill housing.
These in-person meetings are critical for building a relationship with our State Representatives and Senators and put us in a good position to achieve some major state-level housing wins in 2025.
Other News Updates
- Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss published an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune highlighting the many benefits of a pro-abundance, "yes in my backyard" approach to housing
- Urban Environmentalists issued a statement (a tweet, really) calling for the appointment of a new CTA President
- Urban Environmentalists members attended the Kreisman Initiative for Housing Law and Policy Symposium at the University of Chicago to learn about the connections between housing policy and climate change.
- 40th Ward Alderman Andre Vasquez announced a May 29th meeting to exhibit rezoning Western Avenue to support abundant housing